Museum of History opens exhibition with more than 2,000 classic and modern playthings, some of which were once ‘Made in Hong Kong’

Many of us can recall our childhood memories with the sound or image of a plaything that we once owned, and parents can now “share their toys” with their offspring on a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of History.

A classic Hong Kong rickshaw toy. Photo: Asia Times

The Legend of Hong Kong Toys exhibition opened on Thursday, with a display of more than 2,000 items. The public can also learn about the history of toy manufacturing and see the evolution of these items that were the center of many a child’s unverse over the past century.

Highlights of the exhibition, which is open until May 15, include about 100 Star Wars stormtroopers lined up at the museum entrance; a grassy patch of terrain covered with more than 1,000 yellow ducks; classic toys such as gung zai zi (portrait picture cards); dress-up paper dolls; ju fan zai (play houses); robots and tin toys; the historical Mobile Suit Gundam series; the ubiquitous Transformers, Star Wars and Barbie dolls; and interactive toys integrated with the latest technology.

The exhibition will also feature toys made in Hong Kong, and how local industrialists transformed the city into a “toy kingdom.”

For more details, please visit the Hong Kong Museum of History’s website.